Depot Investigating Possible Worker Sarin Exposure

Officials at the Umatilla Chemical Depot in Oregon are investigating whether two depot workers were exposed to sarin last week inside a storage facility, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, Oct. 19).

The two unidentified guards were checking a filter on Oct. 15 when they detected a metallic taste in their mouths, depot officials yesterday told the Pendleton East Oregonian. One worker noticed the smell of rotten eggs while the other suffered a runny nose, according to AP.

“We’re investigating for possible exposure to chemical agent,” said Army spokesman Jim Hackett. A runny nose indicates possible nerve agent exposure, though the egg smell is not an indicator, he said.

A blood test Saturday indicated some type of exposure, Hackett said, but a follow-up test Monday came back negative. The depot is awaiting the results of a urinalysis, which Hackett said could take up to a week.

The workers’ clothing tested negative for contamination, Hackett said, and the two were not given an antidote for chemical agent exposure (Associated Press/Corvallis Gazette Times, Oct. 21).

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